


didn't see you coming, you took me by surprise

by Jellybean96



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, POV Alternating, POV Bellamy Blake, POV Clarke Griffin, POV Harper, Pre-Relationship, Single Parents, Single mom!Clarke, Tattoo Artist!Clarke, Teacher!Bellamy, Unresolved Sexual Tension, single dad!Bellamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-09-08 03:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20292694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jellybean96/pseuds/Jellybean96
Summary: They can't stand each other, and everyone knows it. So, of course, they're forced to work together on a project. Naturally, things take a bit of a turn.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey babes! Got a new story for you all! This one is the next in my Bellarke Bingo collection, the prompts being: Single Mom Clarke, tattoo artist Clarke, Single dad Bellamy, teacher Bellamy, and enemies to lovers. Knocking out five in one go, hope you guys are excited. This one was pretty fun to write and I'm really excited about posting it for you guys.
> 
> Enjoy!

If there's one thing that Harper Green knows for absolute certain without a shadow of a doubt from her five years spent as the PTA President at Arkadia Elementary, it's that when Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin are in the same room for a PTA meeting (or any event, really), the meeting or event is bound to take a turn for the worse at some point. Usually sooner rather than later. And always without fail. Some are more docile than others, but it always ends in an argument.

No one else that she's spoken to knows exactly how it started, or even why, not even Harper herself knows that. All anyone is really aware of is that once Clarke enrolled her daughter in kindergarten the previous school year, she started attending the meetings as often as she could. And then she met Bellamy Blake, one of the fifth-grade teachers there, and things just...did not go well from the moment they met. No one knows exactly how they met, just that it clearly did not go well.

Nothing ever actually comes of the arguments they have during the meetings, though. Seeing as they're both single parents, neither of them can really afford for anything bad to happen to them. So it's mostly just harsh words and empty threats exchanged between the two. It's been that way for two years now, and no one tries to get in the way because they all know it won't do any good. Harper herself has tried a few times, but it doesn't always work. Though, that's not to say she doesn't give it her all when she tries to diffuse the situation.

At this particular meeting, Harper is thinking that she's finally in the clear of having to deal with a Bellamy and Clarke argument and it's one of the best thoughts she's had all day. Until the woman in question shows up a few minutes in, looking a little frazzled and out of breath.

"Sorry," she apologizes as she finds an empty seat, dropping her bag to the floor at her feet. "My babysitter was running late."

"It's alright," Harper tells her with a small smile from her place at the front of the room. "We haven't gotten too far into things yet. We were just discussing what to do for the end-of-year party this year."

"What did we do last year again?"

"We usually do a carnival," Bellamy supplies and Harper braces herself for the impending argument and insults. "Something you would probably know if you were more involved in last year's planning."

Clarke narrows her eyes at the tone of Bellamy's voice. "Well, I'm sorry that I'm a single parent who works full-time to keep a roof over my kid's head and clothes on her back. It's not easy."

"Yeah. I know that. I'm a single parent too, in case you've forgotten."

"No, I haven't forgotten. But your work schedule also happens to coincide pretty nicely with your child going to school so you don't have to stress too much during the day."

"Oh, I still have plenty of stress, Princess."

She scoffs lightly. "Yeah, right. The great Bellamy Blake getting stressed out. That'll be the day."

"I think I might actually have an idea," Harper interrupts them before things can escalate further. She lets out a small, relieved breath when they both turn their attention to her. She's not always that lucky when it comes to the two of them. "I know it may seem a bit juvenile, but what if everyone pairs up, or gets into small groups, and every group or pair comes up with an idea of something to do for the carnival. We'll still have all the big stuff that we always do; a few small rides for the kids, food vendors, and the usual games. But as for the activities that the kids can do throughout the day, we'll mix it up a bit, let each pair or group come up with something."

"What are the parameters?" another parent asks.

"Nothing too crazy," Harper tells him. "But we also want the children to be interested in it. And if you're able, each group or pair could man their own activity. But if they're unable to, they need to find someone who can."

"Are you sure that'll work?" Bellamy asks. "I mean...a lot of us have other things that take up our time. We can't all necessarily take the time out of our day to figure out activities for the carnival."

"Personally, I think it's a great idea, Harper," Clarke interjects, a small smile on her face, always ready and willing to take the opportunity to show up Bellamy. "In fact, I've already come up with a couple of ideas that I think would be great."

"Sure you have," Bellamy remarks back, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair.

"You're doubting my creativity?" Clarke asks, quirking a brow at him.

"Not particularly," he shoots back. "But you're not the only one with ideas. I am a teacher, after all, it's kind of my job to come up with ideas."

"My job requires me coming up with ideas too, in case you've forgotten."

None of them have forgotten that, considering that Clarke's basically a walking advertisement for her job; she has tattoos covering large sections of her body, all of them very elegantly done. Most are in black and white, though are some hints on color throughout. Harper admires her for that, she doesn't think she'd have the guts to get her body marked up like that.

"Speaking of ideas," Harper chimes in, a strained smile on her face as her fingers clench tighter around the tablet in her hands. She would kick them both off the PTA if they weren't so good at giving ideas and raising money and dealing with the children. "I think I have the best one yet. Bellamy and Clarke, you two will be paired up to come up with an idea for the carnival. You both seem pretty passionate about this, so try channeling all of that energy and passion into coming up with an idea together. Everyone else, you get to choose your own groups or pairs. We only have a few weeks left until the carnival, so let's try to get those ideas figured out as soon as possible so we have more time to prepare everything."

"Wait, Harper, are you serious?" Bellamy asks, sliding forward in his seat.

"I am very serious, Bellamy," Harper tells him in her stern mom-voice. She doesn't use it with other adults. Well, adults that aren't Bellamy and Clarke. Somehow they revert to acting like children when they're around each other. It makes her nuts. Her own children aren't nearly as bad as them.

Bellamy and Clarke are definitely a far cry away from being pleased with having to work together on this new project, she knows that. But she also knows that their love for their individual children, as well as the rest of the children in the school, vastly outweighs their dislike of each other. At least, she really hopes it does.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for this story. Thanks so much to everyone who enjoyed the first chapter. Your love and support is greatly appreciated. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

"Auntie Raven!"

Clarke laughs at the sight of her daughter darting across the lobby of the tattoo parlor, dropping her backpack on the floor once she sees her godmother. The bond between those two is one of her favorite things in the world and she's so lucky that she has Raven to help her out when the occasion calls for it. She really doesn't know where she'd be otherwise.

"Hang on, Madi," Raven calls without looking up, causing the girl to freeze halfway, stumbling a little. "You know the rules. No running through here."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"Thank you." She swivels her chair in the direction of the almost six-year-old and opens her arms up wide. "Now come give Auntie Raven the biggest hug you can."

"I missed you so much, Auntie Raven," Madi says, throwing herself at Raven and wrapping her small arms around the older woman's neck to hug her tightly.

Clarke smiles at the sight and crosses to the receptionist desk at the front after grabbing Madi's backpack and setting it behind the counter with her own bag. She smiles at the young teen sitting behind the counter. "Hey, Charlotte. Any messages?"

"Just a few," Charlotte tells her, handing over a few slips of paper. "There might be some on the machine that I missed, but those are all the ones I was able to get."

"Great, thanks. Have you had lunch yet?" she asks, skimming over the messages in her hand.

"I was about to take it, actually. I just have a few things to finish up and then I'm going."

"Okay. Have a good lunch, yeah?"

Charlotte smiles. "I will, thanks."

Clarke continues looking through the messages, casting a quick glance to make sure that Madi is okay. She smiles when she sees her sitting on Raven's lap with a sketch pad and package of colored pencils in front of her. They're the same ones she uses everytime Clarke brings her to the shop.

She turns back to the messages, grabbing a pen out of the cup on the counter and making a notation on the most important ones to answer back.

"So, Clarke," Raven calls out.

"Yeah?" Clarke responds, not looking up from the messages in her hand.

"How goes it with Mr. Cheekbones?"

Clarke sighs, finally looking up at her friend. "I really wish that you'd stop calling him that."

"Why? He's got _amazing_ cheekbones."

"And an insufferable personality to go along with it."

"Still upset about Saturday?"

Clarke's jaw hardens just thinking about the PTA meeting two days prior. "No."

Raven quirks a brow at her best friend. "Clarke."

Clarke sighs again, moving toward her friend and falling into the chair next to her. She rubs her hand over her forehead, her face scrunching up. "Fine. I'm still upset about it. I just...he drives me crazy, you know? I really wish that Harper was easier to say no to. I've only known her a couple of years because of the PTA, but she's such a naturally sweet person that I'd feel bad if I didn't do what she said."

Raven nods, shifting in her seat and adjusting her hold on Madi. "Yeah, I can understand that. I think I've only met her a couple of times when I've had to pick up Madi for you, but she definitely seems like the type you can't say no to. Probably why she's such a good PTA president."

"Apparently she's always unopposed when it comes time to pick a new President because everyone knows she'll win anyway. She's just that good at what she does. But I really wanted to scream when she told me and Bellamy to work together on this. Does she not know how much we can't stand each other?"

"That's probably why she paired you two together," Raven remarks with a small shrug. "To hopefully try and relieve some of that tension."

Clarke's eyes go wide at the insinuation coming from her best friend. "What?"

Raven rolls her eyes. "Oh, come on, Clarke. You can't honestly tell me that there's nothing going on there between you two."

"There isn't," Clarke insists. "He's beyond infuriating."

"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that."

"I don't need this from you, Raven. Not now, please."

"Mama! Auntie Raven! Look!" Madi grins as she holds up her latest drawing for her mom and aunt to see, though Raven has to bend her head and twist a little to get a better look at it.

"I think that one might be my favorite," Clarke tells her daughter with a smile, leaning forward to cup her chin in one hand and kiss the tip of her nose.

Madi giggles. "You always say that, mama."

"That's because all of your drawings are my favorite," Clarke tells her. She takes a deep breath and runs a hand over her daughter's head. "Now, why don't you go grab a snack out of the fridge and then get started on your homework? When you're done you can go back to coloring."

Madi sighs. "Fine." She slides down out of Raven's lap and drags her feet behind her as she gets her backpack and carries it with her to the backroom of the shop.

"I hope you know that when she's a teenager she's going to give you a lot more attitude than she does right now."

Clarke quirks a brow over at her best friend. "Oh, is that right?"

Raven nods. "Definitely. She's basically a direct copy of your personality, Clarke. And based on the stories I've heard about you as a kid, you've certainly got your hands full in the coming years with her."

Clarke sighs heavily, leaning back in her seat. "I worry about my sanity when she gets older. But at least I've got you to help me out when things get tough."

Raven nods with a smug smile, leaning back in her own chair. "Damn right you do. Now go get yourself cleaned up a little. We've got a couple more appointments today before we can close up."

"Consultation or actual tats?" Clarke asks.

Raven spins in her chair to face her desk again. "I think one's a consultation and one's a tat. Echo's finishing up a walk-in, shouldn't be too much longer."

Clarke nods. "Okay. I'll be right back, then. You okay to keep an eye on Madi while I take care of the consult?"

"I always am."

"Good. Wish me luck, then." She flashes her friend a smile before making her way further into the back of the shop to get herself prepared for her consultation. She really hopes this person will be reasonable and not completely shut down any ideas that she might have to improve on whatever tattoo the person wants. If it needs improving, of course. Not every tattoo can be a winner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back with a new chapter for ya! Now we get to see some of Bellamy's life for a little bit and what he really thinks about this whole partnership.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Hey, Princess!" Bellamy calls out when he sees the blonde woman standing outside the front of the elementary school with her daughter. Thankfully, all of his students have either gotten on their bus or been picked up by their parents already, so he doesn't need to worry about staying by the front doors. He smiles and waves at a few parents of some of his former students that still have younger kids at the school as he moves across the pavement.

"Clarke!" he calls out her actual name this time as he jogs the rest of the way over to where she's standing. He's been trying to talk to her for a while now, but every time he's tried to get her attention, she leaves. Either she's been ignoring him, or she just hadn't heard him. But he's guessing it's the former.

She glances up at him, one of her hands holding tightly onto her daughter's hand. "What?"

He stops directly in front of her, letting out a breath. "You weren't answering me."

"I know."

"Hi, Mr. Blake," Clarke's daughter, Madi, says to him with a wide smile and he can't resist smiling back at her. Kids are the best. It's one of the reasons why he got into teaching. Being able to mold and shape their young minds, it's what he looks forward to every year.

"Hi, sweetheart." He smiles and waves at her before looking back up at Clarke, his smile instantly dropping. "Do you always have to be like this?" he questions, careful to keep as much malice out of his tone as he can. Her daughter is present after all.

"Yes," she replies without hesitation. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

He sighs heavily. "I've been trying to talk to you all week. We need to find a time to meet up to talk about the carnival. Are you busy tomorrow?"

"I am, actually. Madi and I have a bunch of errands to run and then she has a playdate. Are you free on Sunday?"

He shakes his head. "Family Day. My son and I are getting together with my sister and her husband."

She nods once. "Right. And clearly, you're very busy during the week."

"Only until school gets out. We can meet up after that on Monday if you want."

"My workday usually lasts a little bit longer than school getting out." Her brows furrow together tightly. "I mean...I might be able to have some of my other artists cover a few appointments during the afternoon. If you don't mind coming by the shop after school lets out. I still need to be there just in case since my go-to person is going on vacation."

"That's fine. My sister can watch Julius for a little while."

"Good. So I'll come and get Madi after school on Monday and then meet you back at my shop."

He shifts on his feet, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Or I could always bring her by for you."

Her eyes go almost comically wide. "What?"

He shrugs nonchalantly like it's not a big deal. Because it really isn't. "It makes sense," he tells her. "That way you don't have to drive here to get her. Since I'll be coming to your shop anyways. I already have a booster for Jules in my car. I'm sure she'll fit."

"I don't know."

He rolls his eyes. "Oh, come off it, Clarke. You may not like me, but you know you can trust me around your kid. Hell, I'm around kids all day and nothing bad has happened to me or them."

She lets out a huff of air, sizing him up and down. "Fine. I have to send a note to the front office, right?"

"So they're aware of the change, yeah."

"Good. I'll write that up when I get home so I don't forget, and then send it to school with Madi on Monday."

"Sounds like a plan."

She doesn't say another word to him, simply walks away from the school building. And him. Can't really say that he blames her, though. He'd probably do the same thing if he was in her position. No sense in standing near each other longer than they have to.

.

.

.

"Auntie O!"

"Julius!"

Bellamy smiles and laughs quietly to himself when he sees Octavia and Julius hugging each other tightly in the doorway to the house. Octavia lifts the boy into her arms and spins him around quickly before setting his feet back on the hardwood floor.

"How's my favorite nephew?" Octavia asks.

Julius laughs, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm your only nephew, auntie O."

"But I still like you more than I like your dad."

Bellamy rolls his eyes at the remark. "Gee, O, tell me how you really feel."

She rolls her eyes and waves him off. "Hush. I'm spending time with my nephew."

"You always spend time with your nephew."

"Because I like him more than I like you. I already said this." She focuses her attention back on Julius, allowing Bellamy the chance to wander further into the house and fall down on the couch as he lets out a heavy breath. Sometimes two days isn't a long enough weekend. It's not that he doesn't enjoy his job, because he does, but he really loves summertime when it eventually rolls back around. It always gives him some time to recover and recuperate before getting ready for the next year of school.

"So, how are things going at school?" Octavia asks him after they end up on the back porch later in the day with one beer each, watching Julius and Lincoln spar. Carefully, of course. "Any progress with that crazy parent you told me about last week?"

He rolls his eyes. "She's not crazy, O. She's infuriating."

"Same difference, right?"

He shakes his head, taking a sip from his beer. "Not really. I can't stand her. She thinks she's so high and mighty, but really, she's in the same boat as me with being a single parent. So it's not like she has much to brag about."

"Whatever. How are things going with that project you have to do together?"

He breathes in deeply. "Well, she finally stopped ignoring me whenever I tried to reach out, so we were able to find a time to meet up."

"Which is?"

"Tomorrow." He gives her an apologetic smile, feeling a little guilty for dropping it on her now when he could have texted her on Friday. "You don't mind watching Julius after school, right? I probably should have asked you sooner, but it kind of slipped my mind."

"Honestly, I'm hurt that you think you'd even have to ask. You want to hang out with the best aunt in the world on Monday, right, Jules?" she calls out toward the yard.

Julius pauses for a moment with whatever he'd been trying to do and grins. "Yeah!"

His sister looks back at him with a smug smile. "It's settled, then. I'll pick Jules up after school tomorrow and then you can come and get him when you're done doing whatever it is you have to do."

He smiles and leans forward to kiss her hairline. "Thanks, O."

"Anytime, big brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Got a new chapter for ya!
> 
> Enjoy!

"Mr. Blake?"

Bellamy looks up from his computer when he hears the quiet voice, smiling softly at the small brunette child standing in the doorway to his classroom. She's clutching tightly to the straps of her backpack, rocking back on her heels and biting her lip between her teeth.

"Hey, Madi."

"Hi. Mama said you're takin' me home."

He lets out a breath and spins his chair more so he's facing her. "Well, I'm actually taking you to her shop. Your mom and I need to talk about some stuff for the end-of-year carnival and we figured it'd be easier for us to talk there, and that I drive you over after school is done."

"Is Julius gonna be there?" Madi asks him, glancing around the classroom.

His brows furrow together. "You know my son?"

"No."

He blinks. "Oh. Well, no he won't be going with us. He's going to spend some time with his aunt and uncle after school."

"Okay."

"You can sit at one of the desks if you want to," he tells her, gesturing to one of the many open seats in front of his desk. "I just need to finish up some important stuff real quick for my class and then we'll go."

"Okay." Madi slides into one of the desks, putting her head down on her arms as she waits.

Bellamy smiles at the girl before turning back to finish grading a few more assignments, making sure to input the grades into the program on his computer and then save it. If he doesn't get it all done now then he'll have to do it later when he gets home. He could do it then, but he really doesn't like to. He only will if he absolutely has to. And the current assignment isn't one that he should need to bring home with him. Especially if he wants to be able to spend time with Julius in the evening before bed.

Eventually, he manages to finish grading all the assignments and puts them in the bin to be handed out the next morning. He tidies up his desk a little and then casts a quick glance around the room to make sure everything had been put away earlier. Sometimes there's a stray piece of something sitting about that he has to put away.

Once he's satisfied, he gathers his bag and jacket and stands from his chair, letting out a breath. "Alright, Madi, are you ready to go?"

The young girl lifts her head from the desk and gives him a small nod. "Yeah. Are we gonna go see my mom now?"

"We are. Get your things and we'll go." He gestures with his head toward the classroom door. "Come on."

He waits for Madi to leave the room in front of him, shutting off the lights and pulling the door closed behind him. He makes sure it's locked before leading Madi down the hallway toward the exit for the teacher parking lot at the back of the school.

.

.

.

"Auntie Raven!" Madi drops her backpack to the floor and then darts across the front lobby of the tattoo parlor as soon as they step inside, making a beeline for a tattooed brunette woman at the other end of the room. Probably 'Raven', if he understood Madi correctly. And after spending so much time around children, he's fairly confident in his ability to understand them. Though, there is the occasional child that he can't understand.

Raven stoops down just enough to catch Madi and lift her onto her hip. "Hey, kid." She kisses Madi's cheek and then catches sight of him, a small smirk growing on her lips. "Ooh, you must be Mr.—"

"Raven, I beg you not to finish that sentence." Clarke makes her way out of the back of the parlor, wiping off her hands with a rag that she then tucks into her back pocket.

"You ruin all my fun."

"Hi, mama."

Clarke smiles over at her daughter. "Hi, baby. Were you good for Mr. Blake on the way over here?"

Madi nods. "Uh-huh. I listened to him and didn't argue and didn't get in trouble."

"Good. Do you have any homework?"

Madi shakes her head. "Nope."

"Okay then. Raven, can you—"

"Already on it. Come on, Madi. Let's go get you set up at your station."

"Designin'?"

"But of course."

Raven carries Madi into the back of the tattoo parlor, the two of them engaging in what he suspects to be an exciting conversation.

Once they're out of ear-shot, Bellamy shifts his attention to Clarke, raising an eyebrow at her. "You let her design tattoos? For clients?"

Clarke scoffs and rolls her eyes at him. "Of course not. She's six. She designs tattoos for me and Raven to get. And occasionally, we'll touch up some of her drawings, and put them out so they're available for new and returning clients." A smile crosses over her lips. "But she loves it. Knowing she helped come up with new tattoos for us to do makes her really happy."

He nods. "Ah. So...should we get started, then?"

"Yes, of course. We can use one of the back rooms where I usually do consultations."

"No one needs to use it for anything?" he asks, following her into the back of the parlor.

"Not today. At least, not right now. There are just a few regular tattoo appointments today."

"Right."

They take a few minutes to get themselves settled at the table in the center of the room. He's not entirely sure where to start the whole thing, never having been in a situation like this before. Especially with Clarke. He's usually done his best to avoid her over the short time that he's known her.

"So what's your idea, then?" he asks her after a few minutes of silence.

She shrugs. "What makes you think that I have one?"

He rolls his eyes at her, shifting in his seat. "Come on, Princess. I heard you at the meeting."

She sighs heavily. "Fine. I did have an idea. Tattoos."

"What about them?"

"We can set up a booth and kids can come and get tattoos."

Bellamy shifts in his seat again, his face twisting in confusion. "Um...as creative as that idea may be, I really don't think parents will be too happy with you tattooing their seven-year-olds. And the kids probably won't be too happy either once they realize what happens."

She rolls her eyes at him. "They won't be real tattoos, you idiot. I'm not a moron. They'd be more of a mix between henna tattoos and face painting."

He leans back in his seat, running a hand over his face as he rolls the idea over in his head. "I mean...I don't think we've ever done anything like it before."

"And I can do all the tattoos myself."

"You sure? Don't you have to be here at your shop?"

She shrugs, leaning back in her own chair. "Raven's my second in command. She can hold down the fort for a few hours while I'm at the carnival. And Echo's pretty reliable too."

"Okay. Let's do it."

She raises a brow at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Really? You're not going to fight me on this?"

"I know a good idea when I hear one," he admits. "Even if it's from you. We've never done anything like this before at the carnival. I'm sure everyone will love it. Especially the kids."

She nods once. "Good. Now if you wouldn't mind getting out of my shop so I can do my job. We can figure out the details for all of this later."

He lets out a heavy sigh as he stands from the chair, more than eager to get out of her hair as soon as possible. "Whatever you say, Princess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! Things get a little...interesting in this one. You'll see.
> 
> Enjoy!

It's been roughly two weeks since Clarke last spoke to Bellamy in person about the carnival. They've texted a few times, after getting each other's phone numbers (reluctantly on her part) so that they don't have to wait to see each other at the school in order to talk. And if she's being honest, she much prefers texting him. That way she doesn't have to hear his voice or see his face. He's one of the most infuriating men that she's ever been in contact with and she really doesn't know why. There's just something about him that puts her on edge and makes it so she can't stand being in the same room as him for more than a few minutes at a time. Thankfully, they don't have to spend too much time together for this project. They just have to go over logistical details and then they're done. She's supplying everything that's needed for the tattoos, and he's supplying the booth for her to use. Well, the school is, technically.

Bellamy had told her that he'd passed her idea on to Harper about the tattoo and that the PTA President was all for it. So she'd immediately assigned them to one of the booths they already had on hand from years before, and now all that's left to do is come up with some kid-friendly designs to use.

Of course, she'd sent him a few ideas already from designs they have in the shop. Ones that she could probably tweak a little to make them more appealing to elementary schoolers.

And in return, he'd given her some of his own ideas, and ones from his son too. Some of Bellamy's ideas are...interesting, to say the least. Most of them have to do with historical figures and moments, which she takes as a sign that he loves history.

_If you enjoy history so much, why didn't you just get a teaching degree in history and then teach middle or high school?_

**I enjoy being around younger kids more than teenagers. Teenagers honestly scare me a little. I remember when my sister was a teenager and it was not fun. For anyone.**

_Right. So then you'll be terrified of your son when he gets older?_

**That is...something that I will deal with when it happens.**

_Alright. Good luck with that then._

_Any other ideas for the carnival tattoos since we're talking?_

**None I can think of right now.**

_Okay. And if you do think of more, no more historical figures, please. I'm pretty sure these kids would rather have superheroes and princesses rather than Abraham Lincoln and JFK on their arms and faces._

**Fine. Whatever.**

"Hey, what's going on with you over there?"

She looks up from her phone, finding Raven sitting across the table from her. "What?"

"You've got this...look on your face. What's going on?"

She lets out a heavy sigh as she drops her phone onto the table, running her hands through her hair. "It's Bellamy."

Raven nods. "Ah. Mr. Cheekbones."

"Please." She looks straight at her friend. "Please stop calling him that. He's completely insufferable and I can't stand him. Even over texting."

"Okay. So what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know, Raven. I really don't know."

"Well, you better figure it out because I'm pretty sure he's calling you right now."

Clarke's eyes go wide as she looks down at the screen of her phone. Sure enough, Bellamy's name is showing at the top of the screen for an incoming call.

She clears her throat once before answering the call and holding the phone to her ear carefully. "Hello?"

"Hey."

"Hi. Why are you calling me?"

"It's easier than texting."

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, so you're one of those people. Texting people is perfectly fine. It avoids having to do things like this."

"Right. Well, I figured I'd call you about this instead of just texting."

"Okay. I'm waiting."

"Right. So, Julius is staying the night with a friend tonight so I was wondering if you wanted to get together to actually go over ideas for the carnival tattoos. Since neither of us really ever seems to have the time to do so."

Clarke glances over at Raven who's wiggling her eyebrows at her before turning in her chair so she's no longer facing the brunette. "I mean...I guess you're not entirely wrong about that. Did you want to meet at my place or yours?"

"Would you mind coming over here?" he asks. "Unless you can't find a sitter this late at night. Or you can bring Madi with you too. Unless she's already asleep."

"She's not, actually. But I think I can find someone to take care of her for a few hours on such short notice." She casually glances over at Raven, giving her a sly smile.

Raven just raises both brows and points at herself.

"Great. So...my place, then?" Bellamy asks on the other end.

"Yeah. Just text me your address."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

She hangs up the call and looks across the table, regretting it instantly when she sees the look Raven is giving her.

"So you claim to not be able to stand this guy but now you're willingly going over to his place?"

"It's to work on the carnival, Raven. That's it. I wouldn't do it unless I absolutely had to. But this guy...he's just...I can't stand him. But I have to put that behind me far enough to be able to work with him on this. Speaking of, are you okay to watch Madi for a few hours until I get back? I shouldn't be gone too long. Just long enough to go over a few last details and firmly decide on what tattoo options to give all the kids."

"Yeah, it's no problem."

"Great. I'll see you later tonight, then." She stands from the chair and shoves her sketchbook into her bag along with a booklet of all the tattoos she offers, in case they need more inspiration.

Gathering her keys, she slides into her shoes and is out the door and to her car. She plugs Bellamy's address into her phone's GPS and then she's on her way. Her fingers tap against the steering wheel, antsy energy coursing through her bones. Under any other circumstances, she probably wouldn't be doing this, but they need to finish this project so they can stop talking to each other altogether.

.

.

.

"Wow. These are all really good."

Clarke glances up from her sketchbook where she'd been altering one of her tattoos to make it more kid-friendly, finding Bellamy paging through the booklet of tattoos she has for the shop. "Uh, thanks." Her brows furrow together at the compliment from him. She's definitely not used to that. She shifts in her seat, putting a few finishing touches on her work and then sliding it toward Bellamy. "What do you think? It should work, right?"

Bellamy glances at the drawing and then nods. "Yeah, definitely."

"Good. So then we're done?"

He nods. "Yeah, I think so."

"Great. So then I'll finally be leaving."

"_Finally_, huh?"

She nods, gathering her things and putting them away. She manages to pull the booklet away from Bellamy and slides it into her bag. "Yeah, finally." She's silent as she finishes packing her things and then looks at Bellamy. "You're aware that I can't stand you, right?"

"I'm aware. The feeling's mutual, by the way."

"Good. Glad we've got that out of the way. Not that it wasn't completely obvious to either of us before. But once this carnival is over and finished with, we can happily go back to ignoring each other whenever we get the chance and staying as far away from each other as we—"

Rough, unfamiliar lips against her own cut off what she was saying. She's stunned at first, not knowing entirely what to do when she feels a hand cup the back of her neck and tilts her head back just a hair. This is entirely new territory for the two of them and everything is a bundle of confusion inside of her mind.

She reacts a few seconds later when she gets her bearings again, pushing Bellamy away from her and hitting him on the chest a few times with an expression of disbelief on her face. How could he? _Why_ would he? A million thoughts are racing through her mind as to why he would do something like that.

But then all of those thoughts are lost in the void as she's crashing into him, locking their lips together again in a heated battle this time. Despite everything, she enjoyed the feel of his lips on hers. His hands slide down to her hips, pulling her closer and she cringes internally at the small whimper that escapes past her lips.

He breaks contact with her lips a few seconds later and another whimper escapes. But then he starts trailing hot kisses over her jaw and down the side of her neck as he grabs her hips tightly in his hands. Her head tilts back automatically in response and she lets out a noise that she's not entirely familiar with.

It doesn't take long for things to elevate to a whole other level, their naked limbs tangled together in the sheets of his bed as they memorize every dip and curve of each other's body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for you! I know most of you were excited about how the last chapter ended, so now you get to see the aftermath of all that.
> 
> Enjoy!

Soft light filtering through the blinds of his bedroom window the next morning, Bellamy smiles to himself as he admires the various tattoos adorning Clarke's skin. She's lying next to him on her stomach, the blanket pushed down to just above her lower back, giving him a clear view of the ink settled on her skin. Some of them, the harder to reach ones, he presumes were done by someone else, most likely Raven. He knows some of them were done by her own hand, as is the case with most tattoo artists. At least, that's what he's assuming. He doesn't actually know that much about tattoo artists. Only what he's seen in various movies and TV shows. But something tells him those portrayals aren't completely accurate.

"You're staring."

The corners of his lips quirk up. "Am I not allowed to do that? Because after what happened last night, I think I'm allowed a little bit of staring."

"So long as you don't make a habit out of it. Especially when we're in public."

"Is that so?"

She rolls over onto her back, pulling the sheet up her body as she does so. She looks up at him. "This can't happen again, Bellamy. We both have other responsibilities on our plates right now with our jobs and our kids. This isn't a good time. Not to mention that no one would even believe us if we told them. We're always at each other's throats."

"Unresolved sexual tension," he tells her with a small shrug and smile. He can't deny that he found her extremely attractive when he first met her, so it wouldn't necessarily be the craziest thing in the world. At least in his eyes.

She snorts. "Yeah, sure." She begins climbing out of his bed, searching the room for her clothes as she keeps the sheet wrapped tightly around her.

"Not sure why you're trying to hide, Princess," he tells her as he leans back on his elbows to watch her. "I've already seen what's behind the sheet."

She glares at him over her shoulder but he can see the faint hint of a blush on her cheeks. "It's the principal of the thing. Where's my bra?"

"Living room, maybe?" he suggests. "Things did get pretty heated out there before we moved to the bed."

She glares at him again as she moves out of the room to get her clothes. He stays in his spot, reaching over the edge of the bed to search for his phone and check through his messages.

There are a few he missed earlier from Julius' friend's mom, asking him when he'd be coming by to pick up Julius. And then some a little later from Octavia, saying that Julius called her and she picked him up and is fine, just a little confused and concerned.

His heart sinks at the messages. He'd been so caught up in Clarke that he forgot about his own son. How could he do that? What kind of a father is he? How could he just do something like that? He's always been more responsible than that.

"Okay, I don't think I'm forgetting anything else, but if you find—"

"You need to leave," he cuts Clarke off, his jaw hard as he looks up from his phone.

She narrows her eyes at him. "Yeah, that's what I'm doing. Or trying to do. I just don't want to forget anything."

"I don't think you have anything else here besides all your things still out in the living room."

"How can I know that unless I look?" she questions him.

"If I find something of yours I'll bring it to you. Now get out."

"And that right there," she says to him, letting out a huff of air. "That is exactly why this can never happen again. And shouldn't have even happened in the first place."

"I completely agree. Now please get out of my house."

She glares daggers at him again before spinning on her heel to leave. He watches her go, listening for the slam of his front door that'll most likely come. It does.

Once he's sure that she's gone, he jumps out of bed and begins getting dressed, not bothering to take a shower. He doesn't have school since it's the weekend and he's not planning on going anywhere other than his sister's house to pick up his son.

He shoots her a quick text once he's in the car and then he's driving like a mad man. While also minding the rules of the road.

When he pulls up in front of his sister's place, she's already standing on the porch waiting for him, her arms crossed over her chest. It's eerie how she does that. He doesn't understand it. Never has. Probably never will.

Climbing out of his car, he walks toward her with his hands already up in the defense position, his mind preparing him for a complete blow-up from her. "Listen, I know you probably think I'm a horrible father for not picking Julius up this morning, but I have a perfectly good explanation for that."

She quirks a brow.

He takes a deep breath in and closes his eyes. "Last night I slept with Clarke and we slept in a little this morning so I didn't see any of Jules' messages until just a few minutes ago." He waits a moment before opening his eyes to see Octavia looking at him with wide eyes and then she's grinning.

"Damn, big brother. How could I be mad at you for that? It's about time you gave in."

"What? No." He shakes his head quickly. "No. It's not...it's not like that. It was a one-time thing and it'll never happen again. I can't stand her."

"Mm...okay. Whatever you say, big brother. Was it good, though? Was it everything you thought it would be?"

His mind flashes back to last night, of all the things they did and how it all made him feel. He swallows thickly. "It doesn't matter how it was," he says to his sister. "Because it's never going to happen again."

"Are you sure about that? Because your face doesn't seem to like that plan."

"Yes, I'm sure. Is Julius inside?"

"Yeah, he's reading on the couch."

"Great." He moves past his sister and into her house, finding his son lounging back on the couch with a book in his hands. "Hey, buddy, sorry I'm late."

"It's okay," Julius says without looking away from his book. "Aunt O picked me up."

He sighs, moving around to the front of the couch and squatting to look at his son better. "I know. I was up really late working on the end-of-year carnival and I overslept this morning. I promise that it won't happen again. Okay?"

There's a brief moment where he thinks his son is going to continue being mad at him. But then he's looking up from his book.

"You really mean it?"

Bellamy nods. "Absolutely. You're my entire world, buddy."

Julius smiles. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too. Now, what do you think about going home so we can give your aunt some peace and quiet for a few hours before we come back over here to make her nuts?"

Julius grins. "Let's do it."

"That's my boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Next time we'll get to see Clarke's take on all of this, so stay tuned.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter. Now it's time for a little bit of Clarke's thoughts on what happened between her and Bellamy.
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

"Raven, I don't know what to do." Clarke paces back and forth across the front room of the tattoo parlor. They aren't open today but had needed to come in to do inventory and make sure the shop is still in working order. Which means it's the perfect time for a dilemma. She'd avoided talking about it, completely ignoring her friend's questions, after she came home that morning. Madi hadn't known anything was different, but Raven sure did. And she'd zeroed in on it immediately. Asking her all kinds of questions that Clarke promptly ignored in favor of coffee and cuddling up with her daughter once she woke up.

But now she's completely freaking out about the whole thing after her brain has actually had time to process things and she doesn't entirely know what to do. There are so many thoughts racing through her head and she can't handle them all.

Raven leans back in her chair and watches her carefully. "Why don't you tell me what the problem is first and then I'll see what I can do."

Clarke spins quickly toward her, her bottom lip bit between her teeth, her eyes darting to the side to make sure Madi is occupied with her coloring. "I slept with Bellamy."

Raven laughs. "Alright, Clarke. Nice job. I knew you had it in you."

"No, Raven, this isn't a good thing."

Raven sits up in her chair and gives Clarke a look. "Uh...you haven't been with a man since he-who-must-not-be-named, Clarke. That was nearly seven years ago. And this particular man that you've been with is very easy on the eyes and seems like he'd be very talented, if you get my meaning. I'm honestly failing to understand how this isn't a good thing."

"Because I just...it can't happen, Raven. He's beyond infuriating and there's no way that any type of relationship would ever work between us."

Raven smirks. "Who said anything about a relationship? Use him for his skills, Clarke. But make sure he knows that's what's happening so he doesn't get the wrong idea."

Clarke shakes her head. "No. It'd be pointless. He definitely hates me way more than he ever did before."

"So figure out a way for him not to hate you. Or don't, it doesn't matter. Just rock his world again. Because I'm betting that you definitely did that."

Clarke sighs heavily. "Raven, could you please be serious for one minute? I'm dealing with a crisis right now and you're not even listening to me."

"No, I'm listening. But you don't want to hear me. Hate sex, Clarke. It's a thing. Lots of people do it. I've done it."

"Yes, I know you have, Raven. And I know what hate sex is. But I don't think I can do that with Bellamy."

Raven's brows furrow together. "Uh...why not?"

"Because I just can't, okay? Now can we please focus on doing our actual jobs right now?"

Raven holds her hands up in surrender. "Hey, you're the one who brought it up in the first place."

"And now I'm un-bringing it up."

"Not quite sure that's how it works…"

"I don't care. Let's just…" she trails off, taking a deep breath in and running her hands through her hair. "Let's just focus on doing inventory, okay? That is the most important thing right now."

Raven sighs. "Fine, just take away all my fun."

"You have plenty of other fun at my expense and you know it."

"There's just so much there to work with," Raven says as she stands from her chair to move over to one of the cabinets where they keep some of their extra supplies. "I'd be doing this world a disservice if I didn't mess with you."

Clarke rolls her eyes at her friend, following behind her. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Madi," she calls out to her daughter. "Auntie Raven and I are going to do inventory. You stay right here and color, okay?"

"I'm designin', mama."

Clarke smiles. "Right. Sorry. You keep designing new tattoos for me. I know I'm going to love them."

.

.

.

"Mama, I did more tattoos for you," Madi tells her as she's tucking her into bed that night. "So many. With lots and lots of colors."

"More than what you did at the shop?" she asks, tucking the blanket up underneath her daughter's arms.

Maid nods enthusiastically. "Yeah. I'll show you tomorrow 'cause I forgot earlier."

Clarke smiles. "Good idea. Because right now...it is time for someone to go to sleep."

"Me?"

Clarke laughs quietly. "Of course you, silly. But tomorrow is a full day of school and then the two days after that are only half days because—"

"Because it's almost summertime!" Madi shouts excitedly, bouncing a little in her bed. "I can't wait for summer, mama. I wanna go to the pool and the zoo and the beach and the park and the—"

"Okay, okay," Clarke says with a laugh, trying to settle her daughter back down. "You can tell me all about your summer plans later. Right now you need to close your eyes and go to sleep." She reaches over to grab Madi's favorite stuffed animal that Raven got for her when she was born. She sets it next to Madi and smiles when the girl immediately pulls it in as she sinks deeper into her bed.

"I love you lots, mama."

"I love you lots too, Madi." She leans forward and kisses her forehead. "Now go to sleep," she whispers with a smile, punctuated with a quick playful squeeze to her daughter's side. "I'll see you in the morning."

With one more kiss to her daughter's forehead, she moves out of the room, turning off the light and shutting the door.

She lets out a heavy breath as she leans back against the door, running a hand through her hair. Today has definitely been a day. And the night before it was too. She really needs a drink.

Grabbing one of the few bottles of wine out of the kitchen that she keeps on hand for occasions such as this, she moves into the living room and falls down onto the couch.

She considers using the glass she brought with her, but ultimately decides on just drinking it straight from the bottle. It's been a rough couple of days and she just needs some time to herself.

Time to think over nearly every life decision she's ever made because of this one night that she spent with someone. She doesn't usually do that kind of thing, though. She doesn't usually just sleep with someone and then never speak to them again. That's not who she is. But maybe it's who she should start being.

Maybe she just needs to take Raven's advice and sleep with Bellamy again. No strings attached. Get him alone and tell him what's what.

She takes a large gulp from the bottle of wine and turns on the TV to try and distract herself. Anything to stop thinking about Bellamy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya!
> 
> Enjoy!

"Hey, dad?"

"Yeah, buddy?" Bellamy responds, glancing over his shoulder to where his son stands at the table getting it set up for breakfast.

"Tomorrow's my last day of school," Julius tells him, setting their cups next to the plates on the table.

Bellamy nods, continuing to scramble the eggs in the pan in front of him. "I know it is. Are you excited to be done with school for the year?"

Julius shrugs. "Kind of."

Bellamy's brows furrow as he looks at his son again. "What do you mean by that?"

"I only have one more year until middle school."

"That is true."

"It's going to be a lot different than elementary school."

"Yes, it will. But you're a smart kid," Bellamy assures his son, "you'll make it through."

"I guess. Did you enjoy middle school?"

Bellamy pauses as he thinks about it. It's been so long since he was Julius' age, and most of his formative years were spent taking care of his sister. He didn't really have a chance to actually be a kid. "Middle school was tough, but it's tough for everyone," he says honestly. "But I'm always here if you need my help with anything, okay?"

Julius nods. "Okay."

"Good. Now let's not worry about middle school right now, it's a whole year away. We still have to finish up the fourth grade and then do fifth grade. And if you're lucky, you'll get to be in my class."

"I don't want to be in your class."

"What? Why not?"

"Because you're my dad," Julius tells him like it should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"And that's a problem because?"

"Other kids will think I get special treatment or whatever."

Bellamy sighs. "Alright. Are you done setting the table? Breakfast is just about done."

"Good. Because I'm hungry."

"Then you'll eat all your breakfast."

"I always eat all of my breakfast," Julius counters, taking his seat at the table.

"I know. But as your dad, it's kind of a job requirement to remind you all the time to eat your breakfast." He sets the dishes of food on the table and takes up his own seat. "Are you excited about the carnival tomorrow?" he asks, starting to dish up his breakfast.

Julius nods with a smile. "Yeah. I wanna get a fake tattoo. I don't know what I want it to be yet, though."

Bellamy nods silently, thinking for a moment on how best to answer so he doesn't insult Clarke in front of his son. He doesn't need to hear that. "Well, there are going to be a lot of options for you to choose from. I'm sure there will be something you'll like." He barely remembers all the options, since there really are a lot. He left most of the decision making of that aspect up to Clarke. "And if there isn't one you like that you see, I'm sure Clarke will be able to come up with something for you."

"You think so?"

"Mm-hmm. She's uh...really talented." Not a total lie. He would never admit it to the woman in question, though. He doesn't need to give her the satisfaction.

.

.

.

As much as he's tried, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about Clarke since he thought about her that morning. Not even since that one night they shared, to be more accurate. And it's not like he wants to think about her, his brain just keeps taking him back to how good she looks lying beneath him. And hovering over him. It does little to actually get him through the day.

He hasn't seen her in person since she left his place, but of course he's going to be seeing her tomorrow. Not by his choice, obviously, but because she'll be at the school for the carnival. He is not looking forward to that.

"Bellamy."

He looks away from his computer to see Harper standing in the doorway to his classroom, her tablet in hand and a friendly smile on her face.

"Hey, Harper. What can I do for you?"

She steps into the classroom. "I just wanted to make sure that everything is ready for yours and Clarke's booth at the carnival tomorrow."

He nods, his lips pulling in tight. "Yeah, everything should be good. Clarke's bringing all the supplies she'll need to do the tattoos."

"Excellent. And how did it go? The two of you working on this together?"

"About as well as you might think," he tells her. "Please, Harper, never make us work together again."

Harper sighs heavily. "Alright. I guess some experiments are bound for failure, right?"

"Apparently so."

She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. "Right. Well, I'll leave you to finish getting ready for your class. And I'll see you tomorrow afternoon for the carnival."

"Looking forward to it." He gives her a polite smile and then turns back to his computer as she leaves. He answers a few more emails from various parents and then skims over some from the school board. Yes, they usually contain important information, but he does not have the energy to read through all of them at the moment. He has other things on his mind. Well, one thing in particular. One _person _in particular.

He lets out a heavy sigh as he leans back in his chair, dragging his hands down his face in pure exhaustion. Even if he didn't have to deal with Clarke Griffin, he would still be drained. The end of the school year always does it to him. He loves his job, but it definitely takes a lot out of him. It's all worth it, though, to see all the smiling faces of his students when he comes up with some new fun way to get across whatever he's trying to teach them. He always goes the most all-out for history, though, his all-time favorite subject.

His phone beeps quietly and he glances over at it to find a new text from Clarke, telling him that she has all the supplies gathered for the booth the next day. And to please have the booth ready.

**Technically, I'm not even in charge of the actual booth itself, so that would be Harper's domain. But I'm sure it'll be right where you need it. She just came by to make sure that we're both good for tomorrow. I told her you were getting all the supplies.**

_Okay. Good. Should I just find Harper tomorrow, then?_

**Probably. Knowing Harper, she'll most likely be in the front lobby to meet everyone that comes in to set up for the carnival.**

_Good to know. I'll uh, I'll see you tomorrow, then. I guess._

**Yeah.**

Running a hand down his face again, he sits up and begins getting himself prepared for the day ahead, trying his best not to think about tomorrow. How in the hell is he going to survive if he has to look at Clarke all afternoon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter! Sorry it's been a while, I've been busy with work lately. Things finally come to a head in this chapter and then there's only one more after this.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Please tell me you aren't going to be actively avoiding him while you're there."

Clarke rolls her eyes as she balances her phone against her ear with her shoulder. She nearly drops the supplies in her hands but manages to catch them at the last second. "I'm not going to do any more than I usually would have before all this mess started."

"It's not a mess, Clarke. You two slept together once and haven't talked about it since it happened."

"It happened just a few days ago, Rae. There's really not much to talk about."

"No, there definitely is. You're just too chicken to bring it up."

"I am not. Could you stop acting like my six-year-old, please?"

"Only if you agree to talk to Bellamy about all of this."

"That's the complete opposite of what I want to do."

"So then hate sex with him is still on the table. Good."

Clarke rolls her eyes once more. "Goodbye, Raven."

She ends the call and slides the phone into her pocket as she gets closer to the front doors of the school. Thankfully, someone is coming out at the same time she's going in, so they hold the door open for her.

"Clarke, you made it."

She looks up to see Harper approaching her with a tablet in her hands and her usual chipper smile on her face. How that woman manages to stay so upbeat is beyond her.

"Harper, hey. Where do you want me?"

"Just head on out to the playground to find your booth and start setting up. We'll let everyone know about ten minutes before school lets out so you have some time to prepare yourself before the swarm of kids."

Clarke laughs quietly. "Good plan. Guess I'll see you around, then." She gives Harper a small, friendly smile before continuing her way toward the back doors of the school to go out and find her booth. Though, technically it's hers and Bellamy's booth. But really, she's the one doing the work of actually painting faces and maybe a few arms.

She finds the booth easily enough, every booth labeled with a small folded card, and begins setting up all her supplies. She shoots a quick text to Raven to check in on the shop, make sure everything is fine. Thankfully, everything is still going well there. No crisis to speak of.

"Hey, Clarke."

She spins around to find Harper's husband Monty approaching her, a genuine smile on his face. She's only spoken with him a few times at PTA meetings, but he always seems like a nice enough guy. "Monty, hi. If you're looking for Harper I think she's inside."

"Oh, yeah, I know. I just came over to ask you something. You're doing fake tattoos on all the kids, right?"

"I am."

He lets out a heavy sigh. "Forgive me for asking, but he begged me to, do you think you could give Jasper a fake tattoo? He's considering getting a real one but doesn't want to do it unless he knows it'll look cool on him."

"And Jasper is…?"

"My best friend. He doesn't have any kids here, but he's helping me out with my booth."

Clarke nods slowly. "Right. Well, tell him that I'll be happy to give him a fake tattoo."

"Awesome. Thanks, Clarke."

"Anytime."

She watches him jog over to a tall, gangly man, and she laughs quietly at the enthusiasm the other man displays. She shakes her head a little, focusing back on getting everything set up.

There isn't much to actually set up, so it's mostly just a waiting game for her at this point.

.

.

.

"Mama!"

Clarke smiles when she sees her daughter moving quickly toward her, a wide smile on her face as she runs across the pavement, a snow cone held tightly in one hand and a little boy she assumes to be Julius (due to how identical to Bellamy he looks) trailing not far behind her. "Hey, Madi. Are you having fun so far?"

"So much, mama. Julius is my best friend now."

She quirks a brow and laughs quietly. "Oh, he is, is he?"

"Yeah. He's the best. And so is his dad."

"Oh really?" Clarke glances up to see Bellamy approaching behind the kids, an amused smile on his face.

He holds his hands up. "I swear I didn't put her up to it."

"Mama?"

"Yeah, baby?" she asks, focusing back on her daughter.

"Can Mr. Blake get a fake tattoo?" Madi asks, taking a huge bite out of her snow cone.

"Madi, I already told you that you only have to call me Mr. Blake when we're in school. School's basically over now so you can just call me Bellamy."

Madi tilts her head, her tiny brows furrowing together as she looks up at him. "Bell."

"It's Bellamy, sweetie," Clarke gently corrects her daughter.

Madi shakes her head. "Bell."

Clarke sighs. "I'm sorry. She's pretty stubborn."

"Just like her mom," Bellamy teases, though there's no malice there like there would have been before. They're still not on the best of terms with each other, but they're not at each other's throats anymore either. Apparently, sleeping with someone can do that. "And it's fine. She can call me Bell. My sister does too. On the occasion that she's actually talking to me." He laughs quietly.

"You two on the outs?" she asks curiously.

"Not really. But she likes to keep me on my toes."

"I'm gonna go play!" Madi announces before running off to find her friends, grabbing Julius' hand to drag him along behind her.

Clarke just laughs. "And I'm going to take a break. This is not as easy as I thought."

"You clearly underestimated how draining it can be to be around so many children for such long periods of time."

"Is this you trying to gloat about how your job is more taxing than mine?" she questions with a raised brow. "Because I quite literally mark up people's bodies for life. It's all permanent."

"Kids are pretty permanent too."

She narrows her eyes at him. "Shut up. I need coffee."

He follows her across the pavement and then guides her into the teacher's lounge once they're inside the building.

All it takes is one look at the coffee pot and then she's making a beeline for it, checking all the cupboards around her for a mug to use.

One appears in her peripheral and she casts a sideways glance at Bellamy. "Uh...thanks." She takes the mug and pours herself some coffee, letting out a heavy sigh after taking the first sip.

"So…" Bellamy's voice interrupts her thoughts, "about the other night. I wanted to talk to you about what happened."

She nods slowly, staring into the blackness of her coffee. Do they really not have any sweeteners or anything? It's ridiculous. She barely listens to Bellamy as he talks to her, or _tries _to talk to her.

"Clarke. Are you even listening to me? You see, this is why I—"

She can't stand it anymore. So she crashes her lips to his after setting her mug in the sink behind her, despite how much coffee is still in it. Her fingers tangle themselves in his hair, tugging him down closer to her.

He breaks the kiss after a moment, his lips swollen and eyes half-lidded. "Wh-what was that?"

"That was me trying to take my break from face painting little kids."

"But we're in the teacher's lounge," he tells her.

She smirks, rising a little on her toes to ghost her lips over his. "So then find us somewhere a little more private."

He grins and then leans down to peck her lips before grabbing her hand in his and lacing their fingers together. She completely ignores the butterflies in her stomach at how nice his hand feels in hers.

She follows behind him as he leads her to a janitor's closet just down the hallway from the teacher's lounge.

He quickly opens the door to let them in and then they're plunged in darkness.

"Think you can find your way without any light?" she teases, running her hands up his chest.

"Oh, I definitely can, Princess. But it's so much easier being able to see you. _All _of you." He runs his hands over her body and he was not wrong when he agreed that he didn't need light.

"Just so we're clear," she says to him, making a point to stop before things go further so she can say what she needs to, "this is the last time. It is _not_ happening again."

"Got it. Now be quiet, please, and let me kiss you."

She gets lost quickly in him, just like the first time. And then he does almost all the things he did before and she's one hundred percent positive that this won't be the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey babes! Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! Back again with a new chapter for ya. This is the final chapter of this little story, so I hope you've all had fun reading it. Thanks to everyone who has favorited and reviewed this story. Really means a lot.
> 
> We're back to Harper's POV for this final chapter, a nice little bookend matching the first chapter. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

The start of another school year means back to work as the PTA President for Harper. Not that she ever really stops being the PTA President, to be quite honest. Even during the summer, when school isn't in session and she takes on more hours with her actual paid job, she's always thinking about the following school year and what new ideas she can bring for various fundraisers and events. She doesn't hold back. She wants everyone to enjoy the events that they're going to.

And with the newest school year right around the corner, she's in full PTA President mode, getting everything set up for the annual Back-To-School Social. Between all the food and decorations, and various other things, it's a lot to plan and actually put together. But it's also one of her favorite events, getting to meet all the new students and their parents. And as per usual, she does her best to recruit the new parents to join the PTA. She can usually manage to get a small handful to agree to attend at least one meeting when the school year starts. If they decide to keep attending meetings after that is completely up to them. Though, most of them end up only going to one or two meetings before coming up with a reason for not being able to attend more. Their loss, really.

"Hey, honey, where do you want this?"

Harper glances up at her husband, finding him and his best friend lugging a large cooler of drinks across the blacktop. "Over with the rest of the food," she tells them with a vague gesture in the direction they need to go. "Just put it at the end of the table so people can grab drinks after they get the rest of their food. That way the water doesn't drip over the rest of the table."

"Got it. Come on, Jas."

"Thanks, guys!" she calls after them. She casts a quick glance around the elementary school playground, running through her mental checklist of things that need to be done before double-checking the list on her tablet. Monty loves teasing her about how hardcore and intense she gets with these things, but he's always right beside her helping without question, so he doesn't have much room to talk.

"Mom, when is everyone else getting here? I'm bored."

She smiles down at her oldest son, Jordan, running a hand through the ten-year-old's hair. She makes a mental note to take him to get a haircut before school starts so he'll look his absolute best. "They'll show up soon, baby. The party doesn't start for another few minutes."

He sighs heavily. "Okay." He turns and makes his way across the concrete, saying hi to his dad and uncle before joining up with his younger siblings on the play structure.

Harper lets out a small sigh as she watches him go, hardly believing that this is going to be his last year in elementary school. But at least she still has three more kids to get through elementary school, and one of them is just out of diapers. So she's got plenty of time.

"Dad, when can I meet my new teacher?"

"Soon, buddy, I promise. We just got here and the Social hasn't even started yet. Give it some time."

Her ears perk up at the familiar voices, turning around to see Bellamy Blake striding through the back doors of the school with his son Julius right beside him. Julius is the perfect carbon copy of his dad, right down to the outfit of choice for the day. She smiles at the two and gives Bellamy a quick wave. He smiles and waves back at her.

Bellamy has always been one of her favorite teachers at the school. He was one of the first to welcome her when Jordan started preschool there, casually mentioning the PTA group that he was involved in as one of the teachers. Thus started her interest in the group and taking over the position of President when the previous one left the district. And she's held the position every year since. She must be doing something right if she keeps running unopposed.

"Hi, Mrs. Green."

"Hi, Julius," she says with a smile to the young boy. "I heard you when you and your dad were coming outside. You're excited to meet your new teacher?"

Julius nods. "Yeah. I hope I have Miss Vie. I know she hasn't been here for a long time yet, but everyone who had her last year said she was really awesome."

"Well, you'll know soon enough who your teacher is going to be. And I'm sure whoever you're going to have, they're going to be great."

"That's what I've been telling him," Bellamy interjects, a small smile on his face. "He really wants Maya as his teacher, though. I offered to let him be in my class, but apparently, he doesn't want me to be his teacher."

"You're my dad," Julius speaks up. "You can't be my teacher too. It's not fair."

"I want dad to be my teacher!" another voice joins the fray, one that has Harper furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. The last she knew, Bellamy only had one child; Julius.

Her eyes go wide a second later when she sees Madi Griffin skipping toward them, Bellamy scoops her up easily and settles her on his hip. The little girl wraps her arms around Bellamy's neck to stay upright.

"I can't be your teacher, sweetheart," Bellamy tells her. "You're not old enough to be in my class."

"Fine. But I want you to be my teacher someday."

Bellamy chuckles. "I'll see what I can do. Now, where's mama?"

"I am right here. Parking was a nightmare. How was parking a nightmare? This thing hasn't even started yet."

Harper's eyes go wider, if that's even possible, when she sees none other than Clarke Griffin approaching the scene, easily sidling up next to Bellamy and wrapping an arm around his waist. She leans into his side and he plants a kiss to the top of her head.

"Mom, Dad, can Madi and I go play until it's time to eat?"

"Sure, just be careful both of you. No running on the pavement," Clarke tells them with a stern look as Bellamy sets Madi back on the ground.

She and Julius grab hands before skipping off toward the bark dust where the play structure is. She watches as they enthusiastically greet her children, Jasper and Monty immediately welcoming them in and keeping an eye on them as all the kids climb and slide on the structure.

She turns back just in time to see Bellamy and Clarke breaking out of a kiss, giddy smiles on both of their faces. She straightens her back and clears her throat, grabbing their attention.

"Oh, hey, Harper," Clarke says with a sheepish smile. "Sorry I didn't say hi earlier. I was a little preoccupied."

Harper's eyes flit between the two adults in front of her. "Yes, I can see that. So when did this happen?"

Bellamy and Clarke lock eyes briefly, a silent conversation passing easily between them before looking back at Harper. "Officially, it happened right at the end of June," Clarke tells her. "But uh, we actually kind of...slept together...a few days before the carnival last year. And then it kind of kept happening over the next few weeks. Until this one ruined it by telling me how much he actually liked me."

"Oh, like you're one to talk, Princess."

"So you guys are an actual couple, then?" Harper asks, still not quite believing what she's hearing from them. "And the kids are...they're cool with it?"

"Ecstatic," Bellamy replies.

"And I heard...I heard them calling you _both _'mom' and 'dad'. How long has that been going on?"

"Not too long, actually," Clarke tells her. "Julius did it first, calling me 'mom'. He asked me first if he could, though, it was very sweet. Madi just kind of...sprung it on Bellamy one day, called him 'dad' without any reservations whatsoever like it was the most normal thing in the world. We're all pretty happy with how things are going right now."

"That's great, you guys. I'm really happy for you. Bellamy, I know you'll probably want to spend some time out here with your family this afternoon, but please don't forget to go up to your classroom at some point so you can meet all the parents of your new students."

Bellamy laughs quietly. "I promise I won't forget, Harper. We'll see you around." He and Clarke both flash her a smile before moving across the pavement towards the play structure, most likely to join Julius and Madi in whatever game they might be playing with the others.

Seconds later, Monty is at her side, a little out of breath from jogging over. Her husband, not much of an athlete. But she still loves him.

"Hey, was that...Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin? With their arms around each other acting all in love and stuff? From everything you've told me, I thought they couldn't stand each other."

"They couldn't," Harper says, the smile still on her face as she watches the two adults interacting with their children. "But I guess my brilliant plan to make them get along worked out a lot better than I thought it would."

"You mean pairing them up to work on the carnival together?"

"Mm-hmm. At the very least I thought it'd get them to stop fighting and find some common ground. I never thought they'd actually get together." She laughs quietly. "Maybe I should consider quitting this and my other job to be a full-time matchmaker."

Monty's eyes go wide. "No, no, please don't do that. Please. Don't do that. I think everyone would fall apart without you here to keep us all in line for school functions."

She smiles at her husband, resting a hand on his cheek. "Relax, baby. I'm not going to stop being the PTA President. I'm way too good at this to stop. Now please go remind Jasper not to do anything too ridiculous here today. We don't need kids getting injured because they tried to copy his crazy stunts on the monkey bars."

Monty just laughs and gives her a quick kiss.

She smiles as she watches her husband jog back over to the play structure, checking him out just a little. They really need a night alone one of these days. It's been a while since they've had a night to themselves.

Breathing in deeply, Harper turns her attention away from the small group at the play equipment, instead focusing her time and efforts on making this event run as smoothly as possible. But she sneaks a glance every chance that she can get at the new (to her) couple, a wide smile on her face every time at seeing how happy they are.

She just hopes they know she's going to worm her way into giving a speech at their wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!

**Author's Note:**

> So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
> 
> Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!


End file.
